Talent build
=Talent Builds= It should be clear at all times that there is no "best" solution for anything in this game. The greatness of WoW is just that there is a nearly arbitrary number of approaches to every single target. Just as there is no "best" race for each class, there is never a "best" build for each class. Everything is a tradeoff - an increase in Efficiency in PvP usually means a decrease in PvE or endgame instances, and vice versa. Of course there are certain basic truths, such as "a mage is a DPS class", "Hunters are good pullers", which are widely accepted, and some talents are considered "bread and butter skills". There are also simple and natural ways to acheive things - if you want to play your priest solo, it's much easier if you skill him as Shadowpriest. By no means should this be taken as "Disc/Holy Priest cannot play solo" - of course he can, it's just harder. The idea of this page is to focus on these essentials, to name a few key talents for each class. Many builds have catchy names (such as "Deftank"), and here they should be explained in principle, not in detail. Most builds are identified by the names of the talent trees, with the tree with the most points named first. A "disc/holy" priest has 31 points in the discipline tree and 20 in the holy tree. Usually no more than 31 points are put in a single tree, because that's the required number for reaching the highest talent. There are execptions though, there are builds with 40 or more points in a single tree. Mage Icemage Firemage Commonly aimed for PvP, the fastest way to convert your mana into as much damage as possible. Unfortunately, people geared for Molten Core usually have a high fire resistance, just as the mobs there too, so Icemage is currently favored by many. Arcanist Common Instance spec'ed build. Priest The primary role of a Priest is of course to heal. Similar to the problem of a warrior, a priest specced for healing is not fun to play solo. In the endgame, nearly no Shadow builds can be found, but prior to that Shadowpriests are still able to heal better than most other classes. Interesting statements from several forum discussions: * Discipline helps the mana household, thus it matches with both, Holy and Shadow * Holy and Shadow are mutually exclusive, as Holy spells cannot be cast in Shadowform * Still Shadow/Holy builds are possible for maximum versatility (can solo and heal in a group) * Critical Heals are not thought to be particularly useful, since they may frequently result in a overheal Holy Notable: Improved Renew (5), Spiritual Healing (10) The best healing build is naturally Holy/Disc. It can heal the most hitpoints in the shortest time. Discipline Notable: Focused Casting (10), Inner Focus (21), Meditation (25) Many people argue that the better mana management from the higher discipline talents is preferrable to the rather slight increase in healing efficiency from the top talents in holy. Especially Holy Nova is subject to much debate. Thus, Disc/Holy is the most widely spread build for endgame raids and instances. Shadow Notable: Mind Flay (11), Silence (21), Vampiric Embrace (21) Most used for PvP and solo. Many consider the moment that a priest gets shadowform (at lvl 40) the point where a PITA turns into one of the best classes. Besides the "normal" advantage of Will of the Forsaken, Undead is a good race for a Shadowpriest because of Devouring Plague. Rogue Rogues are all about max melee DPS. Most in-combat abilities are better with slow weapons, as with a fast weapon the effect is smaller for the same amount of energy spent. Unfortunately, there are some good abilities which require a dagger (notably Ambush and Backstab). Then again, it is possible to quickly switch weapons by macro or UI mod. Stunlock This build tries to keep the target stunned, unable to do anything. The preferred moves are Cheap Shot, Gouge and Blind. Together with Vanish and Preparation, a target can be kept out of combat for quite some while. Crit Combat Swords Commonly referred to as 31/20, or 30/21. Combat Daggers PvP Daggers High and often crits with daggers, mainly geared to ambush and backstab. Warrior In the endgame instances, the primary job of a Warrior is to tank. Aggro management is the only role for which this class is better suited than any other. Unfortunately, when soloing or in the early game instances, this skill is much less useful. Instead, DPS is a greater concern. The interesting challenge for each warrior is to find his personal compromise between these two goals. Fury Spec'd Notable: Cruelty (5), Enrage (20), Blood Thirst (31) Fury is a fun tree that is more on the chaotic side of play compared to arms. Fury warriors are much more likely to duel weild, complimented very well by distributing remaining points in the arms tree. As far as single target DPS is concerned, this tends to be weaker compared to the classic 31/20 build discussed below. Mortal Strike/Arms Notable: Deflection (5), Tactical Mastery (10), Anger Management (11), Mortal Strike (31) This classic build is very popular for warriors who's main engame concern is PvP or maximizing DPS. Mortal Strike is the only real instant attack that warriors can get. Because it is an instant attack, a slow two handed weapon is recommended, as it has a higher damage rating, thus makes the most use of an instant attack. The other 20 talent points are usually put in the Fury tree. This build makes a Warrior an extreamly strong in the area of PvP. Mortal Strike Tank Many guilds feel that warriors must be able to tank or they won't allow them to take part in endgame raid content. Thus they require their warriors to have at least 15 points in Protection. Since many players still want do deal some DPS, the results is a compromise build, 31/5/15. Protection Notable: Anticipation (5), Toughness (10), Defiance (15) Also named Deftank, this build is liked by many guilds to serve as Main Tank in the endgame raid instances (also see the Instance Grouping Guide). The most important skill here is Defense, so this build will try to get as much gear that increases defense as possible. With 425 Defense, a tank will not receive a critical hit from anything in The Molten Core. Since the main focus is holding aggro, a 1H weapon with a shield is usually used in defensive stance. Pure Deftanks spend 40 points and more in the Protection tree. Druid Balance Feral Cat Feral Tank Restoration Hunter The Hunter is known for his pets, his long-range DPS, and his traps. Each of his talent trees focus on improving one of these aspects. Depending on your playstyle, you may focus on one of these alone, or follow a hybrid build. Beast master Focused on improving your pet, and skills pertaining to your pet, a few of these talents focus on improving your Aspects. Well worth looking into even if you are looking to specialise in the Marksmanship or Survivalist trees. Marksmanship All of this talents in this tree focus on your ranged weapon. Worth looking out for is Aimed Shot and Scatter Shot, two very good skills for any hunter to have. Survivalist This tree focuses mainly on improving your traps and melee survivability. The end-of-tree ability, Wyvern Sting, is an excellent blend of CC and DoT, making it highly desirable for any hunter. Paladin Holy Retribution Protection Shaman As Shaman is a very versatile class, it's hard to define its role. In endgame instances their main role is buffs, cures and heals, thus Restoration is chosen by many. For PvP (and maximum DPS), the Enhancment tree is favored. The skills from the Elemental tree look more like a good compliment to both other roles. Elemental Notable: Elemental Focus (11) This tree suffers most from the main problem of all Shamans - bad mana efficiency. Still it gives very high burst damage, making it a good choice for PvP and solo. Enhancement Notable: Improved Ghost Wolf (7), Improved Lightning Shield (8), Flurry (20) Recommended for PvP and solo play. Restoration Notable: Improved Lesser Healing Wave (15), Natures Swiftness (21), Purification (30) Restoration specced Shamans are frequently seen in endgame raid groups. Warlock Demonologist Destruction Mainly used for PvP, uses mana very fast. Affliction Category:Guides